The Adventures of Galgameth

On Location at Valenii de Munte

We spent several days shooting on location at Valenii de Munte, north of
Ploiesti, where we were housed. This is where most of the large battle scenes
were shot, employing hundreds of extras; Romanian military costumed as Lovanian
rebels.

The most notable scene was "the incredible fire ball shot". The extras were
told to run up a hill at the foot of a cliff. Meanwhile, Moise and his crew
were at the top of the cliff. They had three foot round steel cages, filled
with rags and weeds, soaked in gasoline, and lit on fire. These were pushed
off of the cliff to roll down at the actors below.

In take one the extras ran up the hill with great enthusiasm. When the fire
balls came down, they turned and ran away, giving very convincing performances
of fear. In take two, the extras moved up the hill with very little enthusiasm.
They turned and ran away even before the fire balls were released.

The company had to return at a later date, with a fresh set of extras, to
get another take.

When someone asked me how I would have accomplished this shot, I thought
for awhile and replied "I wouldn't!" Perhaps I have no sense of adventure.

>> Click on any thumbnail
image for a larger view <<

Road trip! On the bus to Valenii de Munte.

Andreas and Yoshi find a vantage point.

Silviu, one of the interpreters, stands in for a forced perspective shot.
Put Galgameth in his place and you have a giant creature that towers above
the marching rebels!

One of the explosions that buries Galgameth.

Director Sheen and Yoshi line up "the incredible fire ball shot".

Moise and his men light up the fire balls.

"The incredible fire ball shot" viewed from a safe distance. Click
here for a larger view of all five frames.